CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The Patriot League announced on Wednesday the 2018 Women's Soccer Academic All-Patriot League Team and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. For the second straight year, the Navy women's soccer team was represented by a pair of players as junior goalkeeper Sydney Fortson (Claremont, Calif.) was named to the All-Academic Team, as well as the Patriot League Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Classmate Cadie Higginson (New Orleans, La.) joined her on the All-Academic Team for the first time in her career.
 
On the field, Fortson again found herself in the conversation for best goalkeepers in the league as she was selected to the All-Patriot League Third Team on Monday. One year after going 16-4-1 with a 0.90 goals against average and nine shutouts, the California native came back in 2018 with an 11-6-3 record over 20 games with a 0.85 goals against average and eight shutouts. In 16 games this fall, Fortson held opponents to one or fewer goals. Versus conference opponents in the regular season, Fortson recorded six wins, a 0.65 goals against average and four shutouts.
 
A 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-American Second Team honoree, Fortson has continued her strong performance in the classroom as she holds a 3.90 GPA in aerospace engineering. She currently stands top-10 in the Naval Academy's Class of 2020 in Military Order of Merit and top-30 in Overall Order of Merit.
 
Fortson joins Meghan Hegarty (2015-16-17) and Elizabeth Hoerner (2012-13) as multi-year recipients of the Patriot League All-Academic Team moniker. All-time, she becomes the sixth-ever Navy women's soccer player to earn the title of Patriot League Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year and first since 2013 …
            Elizabeth Hoerner: 2012, 2013  
            Beth Reed: 2009
            Lizzie Barnes: 2008
            Kate Macfarlane: 2001
            Nicole Aunapu: 1997, 1998
*(Note, the first Academic All-Patriot League Team was named in 2010, prior to that season only a Scholar-Athlete of the Year was selected by the conference)
 
The Mids' starting defensive midfielder, Higginson was recognized on Monday as an All-Patriot League First Team member. The junior played a key role in shutting down opposing attackers, while also kickstarting the team's transition offense this season. Playing in and starting 19 games for Navy in 2018, Higginson tallied three goals and two assists over her 1,688 minutes of action on the field. Clutch for Navy down the stretch in league play, she scored all three of her goals over the final four games of the regular season versus Army, Lafayette and Bucknell. Higginson was on the field for 832 of a potential 838 minutes in Patriot League competition.
 
Away from the field, Higginson is a stalwart in the classroom with a 3.94 GPA in honors systems engineering. A four-time honoree on the Commandant's List, she is ranked in the top-five for Military Order of Merit and top-15 in Overall Order of Merit for the Class of 2020.
 
Nine of the 10 Patriot League programs were represented with at least one student-athlete on the academic all-League squad, with American and Navy placing two student-athletes on the 11-member team. Seven of the 11 student-athletes selected for the academic all-League squad were also named to the All-Patriot League teams on Monday.
 
To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or student-athletes in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor.
 
The Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for each individual sport comprises the pool of nominees for the Patriot League Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards given out during the summer.

The voting for the all-Academic squads was conducted by the League's women's soccer sports information directors, who could not vote for their own student-athletes.

2018 Patriot League Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete: Sydney Fortson, Navy, Jr., GK
 
2018 Patriot League Women's Soccer Academic All-League
Audrey Denkler, American, Sr., M
Gabby Maldonado, American, Sr., M
Sydney Cassalia, Army West Point, So., GK
Pietra Sweeney, Boston University, Sr., D
Maddie Dano, Bucknell, Sr., D
Mara Cosentino, Colgate, Jr., M
Jenna Barnes, Holy Cross, So., M
Alex Stanford, Lafayette, Sr., F
Sam Miller, Lehigh, Jr., GK
Sydney Fortson, Navy, Jr., GK
Cadie Higginson, Navy, Jr., M